Terry Robiskie, right, with receiver Albert Connell Reginald A. Pearman Jr. washingtopost.com

Terry Robiskie, the Redskins' passing game coordinator, discussing the Ravens game and Washington's next opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, said wide receiver Michael Westbrook's absence is having a greater than expected effect on the passing game.

Robiskie joined the Redskins as wide receivers coach in 1994 after spending 12 years as a coach with the Raiders. A running back out of LSU, he was drafted by Oakland in 1977 and played for five seasons, three for the Raiders and two for the Dolphins.

Terry Robiskie: Let's get started after another big win. I'm sure there's a lot of interesting questions, so I'm ready to go.

Suitland, MD: Coach Robiskie
Congratulations to the coaches and players on four wins in a row, against four tough teams. I thought James Thrash had an excellent game against Baltimore. I don't believe Albert Connell made a catch, although a number of passes were thrown his way. Were they drops or the result of good plays by the DB's?
Thanks very much for your time and good luck against the Jags.

Terry Robiskie: Thanks for writing. I agree, James Thrash had a pretty good game. I was excited for James and happy. No one in the world deserves it more than James. He's a great guy. No, Albert did not have any hits. There were a few balls thrown his way but we were not able to complete any. As they would say, close but no cigar. I don't remember giving Albert any drops. I possibly could have on the play in the end zone. It should have been a touchdown, but the defensive back made a good play. Baltimore is playing great defense and they've got a pretty good football team. I'm happy we won't see them again this season.

Oakland, CA: Hi Coach. Congrats on a solid win against Baltimore. Do you find in general when an opposing defense has taken a battering on the ground (such as Eddie George laid on the Jags' D last week), they compensate by solidifying their run defense, perhaps at the pass defense's expense? Or are such weaknesses chronic and readily exploitable--especially when a team has had a short week to prepare?

Terry Robiskie: I'm not sure that defensive coaches compensate one way or the other. I think they will work very hard to prepare for our running game, but we must continue to run the football. If we have opportunities in the passing game, then we must make the plays.

San Francisco, CA: Coach, I have heard some people say that it is important to establish the run first to set up the pass. I have heard others, including Coach Turner, insist that it is important to establish the pass first to set up the run. Which of these philosophies is the majority opinion among NFL coaches (and NFC coaches in particular)? Is this a chicken and egg question? With a runner as talented as Stephen Davis and injuries to Michael Westbrook and Irving Fryar, do the Redskins have any choice other than to try to establish the run first?

Terry Robiskie: I think the norm is to run the ball to set up the pass. Some experts say you should pass first to set up the run. But that group, I think, is in the minority. Bill Walsh, Mike Martz, Don Coryell, even Sid Gillman, all those guys believe you should pass to set up the run. That's not a bad group, so maybe they should be the majority. I'm not sure which group I place myself in.

Weatherly, Pennsylvania: Congratulations on Sunday's win, Coach. Our offense isn't scoring as many points as you and Coach Turner would like, I'm sure. Still, we're winning ball games and that's really the bottom line.
Would you attribute the offense's lack of point production to key injuries (Raymer, Westbrook and Johnson), inability to punch the ball in while in the red zone, or a combination of both? We still have the big play in our offense, but we seem to struggle when we reach the red zone. Your thoughts? Thanks for joining us, and good luck against Jacksonville.

Terry Robiskie: I agree with you totally. I think it's the combination of everything you just said. Of course, the injuries really did hurt us. There are so many changes in our offense. So for that reason we are struggling a little.

Ashburn,VA: Hey Coach, What do you think about what John Riggins said about Fryar? Thanks Coach and good luck...

Terry Robiskie: I do understand that John Riggins is working with the media and for that reason he's entitled to his opinion. The opinion about Irving Fryar not being tough, I'm not sure I can agree with that one. But perhaps John was comparing Irving's toughness to that of John Riggins' or Dexter Manley's. Some comparisons are not fair. I couldn't compare Art Monk and Ricky Sanders to Tre Johnson so I'm not sure I can agree with John's statement.

Big Sky, Montana: Coach, I don't know what you've been saying to James Thrash lately, but I hope everyone listens... Wow! (The offensive line looked great too).
Last year I noticed Brad getting in trouble by underthrowing the deeper routes, and he did it again against Batlitmore Sunday. As someone who only has a fan's perspective, I can't understand why he doesn't try to err by throwing a little long. At least then, it seems, the ball won't be picked off. How do you handle things like that in practice?

Terry Robiskie: We, of course, continue to work on it. And we tried to emphasize getting the ball out front. I'm not sure which throw you're speaking of when you said in the Baltimore game, he threw one short. I would comment on that throw, but I'm not sure which one you're talking about.

Hollywood, Florida: As a die hard Redskin fan down here in Florida, I am extremley disappointed and upset that the Redskins and Mr. Snyder have not made an effort to sign Brad Johnson to a long term contract. Why do you think this is so? We support Brad fully down here in Florida! Thanks.

Terry Robiskie: Well, I don't want to get in the middle of any dispute about contracts or lack thereof. I will say this, however, as an ex-player and as a present coach, I have never believed in contract negotiations during the season. I think it does nothing but disrupt your football team and some things you're trying to do. Please don't be so upset with Mr. Snyder. I'm sure there's a lot more to this than what we are reading. Don't worry about it. Everything will be taken care of.

Washington, DC: Great game against Baltimore, Coach!
I was really impressed with the way James Thrash stepped up and made some big plays last week. Would you describe the Baltimore game as a break-out game for him and do you see him playing a bigger role in the passing game even when Irving Fryar returns?
Thanks for taking my question and best of luck against J'ville!!!

Terry Robiskie: Well, every week we prepare our guys to play, to play hard, and to win. I'm nor sure if we go into any game expecting James Thrash to have a break-out week, so I'm not sure that his Baltimore game was a break-out game. He had a pretty good game and I'm happy for him. As for what happens when Irving Fryar returns, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Atlanta, Georgia: Hi Coach. The Jags have had some crucial injuries, one in particular affecting the team's secondary. How do the Jags match up with our style of offense and how does their secondary compare to that of the Bucs and the Ravens?

Terry Robiskie: I think the Jags, like everyone else, are having injury problems. But of course, like everyone else, they must adjust and get ready to play. I think they are very sound in their secondary and very sound with that group on defense. I'm not sure today if they're as good as Tampa Bay, but there are some good players on their team. And some good players in the secondary, especially Aaron Beasley.

New York City: You guys are showing a huge amount of character week in and week out. Great job! Last week you told me that Andy Heck was a tackle, not a guard, and to forget about him replacing Sims. Sunday he's going to start at guard--that makes me very nervous. What say you this week?

Terry Robiskie: I say to you that sometimes in life you've got to be able to make an adjustment. It's that time in the Redskins' life. Keith Sims is at the point where he just can't go anymore. We had to find the guy that gives us the best chance to win. Today, Andy is that guy. Andy is very tough and very competitive. I still say he is a left tackle, but he will do okay at guard for a week or two. Thanks for writing back and reminding me of what I had said last week. Trust me, I didn't forget. I just didn't think you remembered.

Woodbridge, VA: Coach, It seemed like Andre Reed did more when he first got here than he has done in the past couple of games. Do you expect him to become more of a factor as the season progresses?

Terry Robiskie: We're trying to do a few special things every week with Andre Reed. Each week if we find a match-up that we like, then we try to take advantage of it. That's why sometimes you see more of Andre and sometimes you see less.

Columbus, Ohio: Great game last week coach!
When you turn your attention to the Jags, what do think they do well on defense? What do you think are some key match-ups?

Terry Robiskie: I think the Jags are very aggressive on defense. They have a lot of players who are good players and very active. I'm not sure where the match-up will come, but I know there should be a war between their defensive line and our offensive line. Make sure you watch as it should be fun.

Leesburg, Va: Best of luck Sunday,
How is Mike Westbrook doing? Is he in good spirits?

Terry Robiskie: Yes. Mike is doing pretty good. He came by the office yesterday. He was on crutches, but feeling good. His spirits were great.

Vienna, VA: Hi Coach -
This team is really coming together to win the types of close emotional gut-check games that in years past they would typically have lost. I was at the game last week, and I noticed something that really reflected that. After Stephen Davis scored his touchdown, he came over to the sideline and tried to give Larry Centers the ball that he scored with. Larry didn't accept it, but that gesture really summed up how this team seems to be fighting together to win games. Do you have any comments on that? Thanks for your time, and good luck the rest of the season. Hail!

Terry Robiskie: Yes. I think that with every close victory we become closer as a team. The guys, more and more, start believing in each other and of course this will help us to grow and bond as a team. Stephen offering his game ball to Larry is no big deal. That shows the amount of love we all have for each other.

Wheeling, WV: Coach, when Centers was hurt we saw a lot more of Davis catching balls in the flat. How well do you think Davis performed in that role and will we still see many of those plays now that Centers is back?

Terry Robiskie: We will continue to see some, but not as many. Larry Centers is the leading pass-catching running back in NFL history. So I promise you, he will be our pass-catching back. Stephen will have an opportunity on a few plays, but the featured guy will be Larry Centers.

Leesburg, Virginia: Coach, Can I come to a mini camp and show you my receiving skills? Please. -jeff wannall kr/slot/wide receiver

Terry Robiskie: Jeff, the best advice I can give you is for you to put together a videotape of yourself somewhere playing football. See, to tryout for a professional football team is like going on an interview for a job. It helps to have a resume. In this case, it would help to have a visual resume, like a videotape of some of your plays. You should mail that tape to Melvin Bratton at Redskin Park. He is in charge of tryouts and personnel. So he's the guy you should contact and then he will make a decision to give you a tryout or not.

Centreville, VA: Coach,
Do you try to coach recievers to always catch with their hands? Or are there circumstances when catching with the body is okay?

Terry Robiskie: I try to coach them to use their hands as much as possible. But there are a lot of cases where they must use their bodies, especially when there are DB's hanging all over their backs.

Oakland, CA: Hey Coach. When your team faces an offense that has been struggling to put points up (e.g. Ravens, Jags), does this change your offensive game plan at all? For example, does it allow to you to plan higher risk, higher return plays, feeling more certain that your defense can get you the ball back if necessary?

Terry Robiskie: Well, I think we do make a few adjustments. We feel like we can open up a little and take a few more chances. Of course, we're counting on the defense to get the ball back to us as quickly as possible.

Landover: Terry, glad to have you with us.
I won't ask you about future games, but, I'm wondering how you all game plan. For instance, when do you decide to throw a slant? Would you throw one if the DB is playing up? Or, does it depend on the LB on that side? And against Baltimore when did you pick-n-choose to go long? Is the key single coverage? Do you always stay away from double coverage, or do you sometimes go underneath because you like your back against their LBs? Just a little more insight so that I can better understand what you guys do so well.

Terry Robiskie: Your first question, you asked about the slant route. We have no preference as to when we throw that route. The only thing we're concerned with is the linebacker on that play. As for the deep ball, yes, we like that one versus man-to-man coverage. We try to call the deep ball when we think it will be man coverage. Now, whenever we feel like there's a blitz coming, then we try to match up Larry Centers on one of their linebackers.

Landover, MD: Despite the Jags record, I know that they have talent on offense. Probably the best you've faced this year. Why do you think they aren't scoring?

Terry Robiskie: I think the Jaguars are a little bit like us. They're hurting in their offensive line which is causing a problem. But the big thing is that they're just not making plays they made last year. Let's hope they don't start this weekend. Like you said, they are a very talented group and they can definitely score and score fast.

Radford, VA: Congratulations on this great winning streak coach! I just wanted to ask you how Derrius Thompson is developing? Is he more of a possession receiver or a big play threat? Thanks and keep up the good work!

Terry Robiskie: I think Derrius will eventually develop into a possession-type receiver. He's a big guy with a big body and he must learn to use his size. We'll see what the future holds for that young man.

Springfield, IL: As a alum of the Fighting Illini I like to keep tabs on Jeff George. How is he doing in practice and is he handling his role as back-up well?

Terry Robiskie: Jeff George is handling it extremely well. I am sure that he's dying inside because he is such a competitive guy. But I think he's done a wonderful job each week of getting ready if his number is called.

North Carolina: Will keeping Keith Sims out only one game really help him? It seems from what I've read that he needs several months off.

Terry Robiskie: Well, I think we will keep him out this week, and after that we will play it by ear.

Camp Hill, PA: Coach - I see Jags' CB Fernando Bryant is nursing a hamstring injury. Is this a chance to exploit him with James Thrash a la Dave Thomas with the Giants??

Terry Robiskie: Well, I'm not sure if he's going to play or not. But if he plays with a sore hamstring, I'm sure we will see how long he will go. Football is a tough enough game if you're healthy. Now, he's trying to play hurt. We'll see.

Montpelier, Va: Coach, With Darrell Green being out a few weeks, do you think Drakeford or Stevens will be able to step in on nickel situations and not miss a beat? What type of corner has Drakeford been in practice? Thanks and good luck with the Jags.

Terry Robiskie: I hope one of those two guys will pick up the slack. I am not sure they can fill in without skipping a beat. But I hope they can fill in to help us win. Drakeford is an experienced guy and I think he should play well.

Fairfax, VA: Were you coaching with the Skins when McCardell was here? Why did we cut him, he's a great receiver?

Terry Robiskie: No, I was not here. I have no past experience with McCardell.

Key West, FL: Have you guys thought about putting A.C. back there returning punts? Do you think he's up for it?

Terry Robiskie: No. That one never came up. We took Deion from back there, trying not to get him hurt, so I surely wouldn't want to see A.C. back there.

Camp Hill, PA : Coach - Everybody has been bashing Brad Johnson and our passing game. I know it is very difficult as a QB to get continuity in the passing game when WRs are shuffling in and out of the lineup. I would like to compliment you on having guys like Thrash ready to come in and play well. I believe the passing game will start really rolling this week and only get stronger the rest of the year. Good luck against the Jags. Hail to the Redskins!

Terry Robiskie: Thanks for your support. I hope you are right in your assessment that the passing game will step up this weekend and continue through the year. I think we are suffering a little more than we expected from the loss of Michael Westbrook. It is difficult to have all these guys shuffling in and out. But hopefully, this weekend we'll step up, make a few plays and get everything rolling. Well, your question is the last one for the day. So it is your job to do all you can to make sure that we win the Jacksonville game this weekend. Thanks for writing and thanks for joining us.

washingtonpost.com: That's all the time we have. See you next week for another edition of Airing It Out with Terry Robiskie.